Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Jul 23;6(7):2325967118786237.
doi: 10.1177/2325967118786237. eCollection 2018 Jul.

Epidemiological Patterns of Alternative Racquet-Sport Injuries in the United States, 1997-2016

Derek T Nhan  1 , Walter Klyce  1 , R Jay Lee  1
Affiliations

Epidemiological Patterns of Alternative Racquet-Sport Injuries in the United States, 1997-2016

Derek T Nhan et al. Orthop J Sports Med. .

Abstract

Background: Racquet sports have increased in popularity over the past decade. Although research is available regarding the epidemiological characteristics of tennis injuries, little is known about the frequency and characteristics of injuries in other racquet sports.

Hypothesis: Given the increase in all racquet sport participation in the United States (US), it is hypothesized that injuries have accordingly become more frequent.

Study design: Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods: Using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database, we reviewed the numbers of badminton and squash/racquetball injuries presenting to a representative sample of US emergency departments (EDs). We used weighted estimates to extrapolate the data to the US population. Incidence estimates were compared with national participation data and stratified.

Results: A total of 4330 injuries were reported, representing an estimated 173,000 injuries presenting to US EDs from 1997 through 2016. Despite the increase in the number of players from 2006 through 2016, the annual injury rate for squash/racquetball declined significantly, including the rates for each body region assessed. No similar trend was found for badminton injuries. Within our extrapolated ED cohort, the lower extremities were the most common body region injured (37%). Strains/sprains were the most common injury type in the trunk (73%), lower extremities (65%), and upper extremities (32%), whereas lacerations were most common in the head/neck (49%). In badminton, the youngest players (age range, 5-18 years) sustained twice as many fractures (relative risk [RR], 1.96; 95% CI, 1.14-3.38) and almost 3 times as many lacerations as patients in any other age group. Similarly, the youngest squash/racquetball players were at highest risk for lacerations (RR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.22-1.73) and head and neck injuries (RR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.26-1.83).

Conclusion: Although declines in rates of squash/racquetball injuries were observed, the increasing popularity of badminton, squash, and racquetball necessitates further preventive measures to improve player safety, with an emphasis on the youngest players.

Keywords: badminton; racquet sports; sports injuries; squash.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: R.J.L. has received educational support from Sofamor Danek and Arthrex and has received research support from Arthrex.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Estimated number of squash/racquetball injuries in the US population (for players aged ≥5 years), 1997 through 2016.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Estimated number of badminton injuries in the US population (for players aged ≥5 years), 2001 through 2016.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
(A) Distribution of injuries sustained during badminton by body region. (B) Type of injuries sustained during badminton.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
(A) Distribution of injuries sustained during squash/racquetball by body region. (B) Type of injuries sustained during squash/racquetball.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bylak J, Hutchinson MR. Common sports injuries in young tennis players. Sports Med. 1998;26(2):119–132. - PubMed
    1. Chard MD, Lachmann SM. Racquet sports—patterns of injury presenting to a sports injury clinic. Br J Sports Med. 1987;21(4):150–153. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Darbutas T, Juodzbaliene V, Skurvydas A, Krisciunas A. Dependence of reaction time and movement speed on task complexity and age. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania). 2013;49(1):18–22. - PubMed
    1. David DB, Shah P, Whittaker C, Kirkby GR. Ocular protection in squash clubs: time for a change? Eye (Lond). 1995;9(pt 5):575–577. - PubMed
    1. Egloff C, Valderrabano V. Tennis and racquet sports In: Valderrabano V, Easley M. eds. Foot and Ankle Sports Orthopaedics. 1st ed Basel, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing; 2016:549–552.

LinkOut - more resources